Feed-cutter



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(No Model.)

L. L- LAMB. FEED CUTTER.

' Patented Mar. 8, 1898.

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FEED CUTTER.

N0. 600;154. Patented Mar. 8, 1898.

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L. L. LAMB. FEED CUTTER.

No. 600,154 Patented Mar. 8, 1898,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LEVI L. LAMB, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE WHITMAN & BARNESMANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF AKRON, OHIO.

FEED-CUTTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 600,154, dated March 8,1898.

Application filed July 17, 1897. Serial No. 644,886. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern-.-

Be it known that I, LEVI L. LAMB, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Feed-Cutters; and Ihereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionof my invention in its best form now known to me, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a feed-cutter which shall be ofsimple construction, efficient, and convenient to operate.

My invention consists in the features of construction hereinafterdescribed and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation, and Fig. 2 a plan view,of my improved feed-cutter. Fig. 3 isa sectional view of the elevatorand its swivel. Fig. lis a sectional view on the line a a of Fig. 3.Fig. 4 shows a view of an elevator-bucket. Fig. 5 is a partial rearelevation showing the feed-rolls and gear-wheels. Fig. 6 is a sectionalview of the feed-rolls, gear-wheels, and links taken on the line b b ofFig. 5. Fig. 7 is a detail view of link 42. Fig. 8 shows the gear-lock.

' Similar 'figures indicate similar parts throughout the several Views.

The general operation of the machine is as follows: The feed or othermaterial to be cut is placed upon the feed-table 1 and by hand is shovedbetween the feed-rolls 2 and 3, which take hold of the material andforce it against the cutting-cylinder 4:, the knives of which, shearingon the cutting-bar 5, cut the material into small pieces, which dropdown the spout 6 into the hopper 7 of the elevator or conveyor. Thechain 8 of the elevator passes through this hopper and carries the outmaterial up the elevator 9 to any point desired.

The cutting-cylinder, which may be of any of the common forms (one ofwhich is shown in Fig. 3) or a shredder, is mounted on the shaft 10,having at one end the belt -pu1- ley 11 (to which power is deliveredfrom any convenient source) and the gear-wheel12 and at the other endthe balance-wheel 13. vThe lower feed-cylinder 2 is mounted in fixedbearings and at one end carries the gearwheel lat (meshing in andreceiving power from gear-wheel 12) and also a sprocketwheel 15,bearingthe sprocket-chain 16,which passes over the lower sprocket-wheel 17 andthrough the bevel-gears 18, the vertical shaft '19, the chain 20, shaft21, bevel-gears 22,

sprocket 23, chain 24, and sprocket 25, which is rigidly attached to theshaft 26, on which are mounted the elevator-chain sprockets 27,transmits power to the elevator-chain 8.

The shaft 21 is pivoted at its bottom, so that the whole elevator can beswung around through an angle of about one hundred and eighty degreesand the cut feed thus be delivered at either side of the machine ordirectly in line with it, as shown in the drawings, or at anyintermediate angle.

The elevator consists of two interchangeable sprocket chains 8, havingat certain points special buckets 28. As fully shown in Fig. 4., thesebuckets are castings in the form of a light angle-bar 28, having at eachend a link 28 of an interchangeable sprocket-chain, the two links andangle-bar being cast in one piece. These links fit into the links of anordinary chain, and the angle-bar acts as an elevator-bucket. The numberof these buckets used per foot of elevator-chain may be varied accordingto the kind and amount of material to be elevated. In order that thefeed may be prevented from slipping through the hopper, it is necessarythat the buckets 28 fit close to the bottom 29 of the hopper 7 as theypass up through it. I therefore make the bot tom of a sheet of thin iron29, bent so that the buckets will almost touch it for about ninetydegrees of their travel over sprocket-wheels 27. In such machines therehas always been trouble in providing a suitable method for fasteningthis bottom sheet to the sides of the hopper so as to have it secure andretain its position properly. To avoid this difficulty, I make the sides30 of the hopper of cast-iron, having cast thereon the flanges 31 andthe lugs 32 or the flange 32, (shown in dotted lines,) with just spaceenough between the flange and the lugs (or flange 32) so that thesheet-iron plate 29 may be slipped in. By

this construction the bottom and sides of the hopper consist of onlythree pieces, and no nails, screws, or machine-work are required to putthem together. At the opposite end of feed-roll 2, Fig. 5, is thegear-wheel 33, having in mesh with it the gear 34, the two beingconnected by means of the links 35, which are pivoted to the shaft ofgear 34, so that gear 35 can swing about the shaft. In

the same way gear 36 is connected togear 35 r by the links 37. The upperfeed-roll 3 rests directly upon the lower roll 2 and is carried inbearings which are adapted to slide up and down in the slots 38 of theframe of the machine, thus allowing the upper roll to accommodate itselfto the varying thickness of feed. In order to give the roll 3 sufficientpressure upon the material to properly feed it, the bearings of the rollhave over them the links 39, to which tension is applied by means of thesprings 40.

on the end of the upper feed-roll 3 is the gear-wheel 41, adapted tomesh with gearwheel 36, and pivoted to the shaft on opposite sides ofsaid Whee141 are the links 42, having the slots 43, adapted to receivethe shaft of gear-wheel 36. These slots are so located that the shaft ofgear 36 may be moved in them sufiiciently to throw gear 36 in and out ofmesh with gear 41. The links have recesses 44 on their insides, adaptedto hold the gear-lock 45, which is adapted to slide in said recesses andshove gear 36 into mesh with gear 41. At the lower end of these links ispivoted the hand-lever 46, having the cam 47, adapted to act ongear-lock 45. This cam is of such a pitch that when the lever is throwndown in the position shown in the drawings gear 36 is forced in meshwith gear 41, and when lever 46 is thrown up to substantially a verticalposition the cam will be in such position that gear 36 may drop out ofmesh with gear 41. It is very important to be able thus to start andstop the feed-rolls at the will of the operator,so as to properlyregulate the amount of material fed to the cuttingknives. This linkmechanism shown and described above forms a flexible connection by whichpower is transmitted from roll 2 to roll 3, at the same time permittingroll 3 to move up and down in the slot 38. When it is desired to changethe length of cut of the material, gear 33 and link 35 can be removedand a larger or smaller gear and its corresponding link be substituted,thus causing the upper roll to revolve faster or slower and change therate of feed and consequently the length of cut.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desiretosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a feed-cutter in combination with a feed-roll and the gear-wheelon its shaft, a pair of links pivotally connected to the shaft of saidfeed-roll, another gear-wheel adapted to mesh with said feed-rollgear-wheel journaled in and adapted to slide in recesses in said links,a gear-lock and a cam-lever pivoted in said links adapted to act on saidgearlock and force said second gear-wheel into mesh with said feed-rollgear-wheel, substantially as described.

2. In a feed-cutter in combination with a feed-roll and the gear-wheelon its shaft, a pair of links pivotally connected to the shaft of saidfeed-roll, another gear-wheel adapted to mesh with said feed-rollgear-wheel journaled in and adapted to slide in recesses in said links,a gear-lock, a cam-lever pivoted in said links adapted to act on saidgearlock and force said second gear-wheel into mesh with said feed-rollgear-wheel and means for supplying power to said second gear,substantially as described.

3. In a feed-cutter, in combination with the feed-rolls, the gear-wheels33 and 34 connected together by the links 35, the gear wheel 36connected to gear-wheel 34 by the links 37, the gear-Wheel 41 and thelinks 42 having the slots 43 adapted to hold the shaft of gear- Wheel36, recesses 44 in said links 42, the gearlock 45 adapted to slide insaid recesses 44, and the lever 46 carrying the cam 47 pivoted in saidlinks 42 and adapted to act on said gear-lock 45 and force saidgear-wheel 36 into mesh with said gear-wheel 41, substantially asdescribed.

LEVI L. LAMB.

I/Vitnessesz D. B. CHEEVER, ROBT. K. S. CATHERWOOD.

